“Soybean Steve” King Brings Taiwan Trade Partners to Iowa Farms

Tour allows King to show off Iowa agriculture to Taiwanese Purchasers

Washington, D.C.- Congressman Steve King, a Member of the House Agriculture Committee, announces that he will be hosting a tour of Iowa farms for members of a Taiwanese agricultural procurement delegation on Sunday, September 30. The agriculture tour comes on the heels of an announcement that Taiwan will increase their purchase of American soybeans by 30%.  Last September, following a series of meetings King held in Taiwan with Taiwanese government officials (Related: King Persuades Taiwan to Buy $2.8 Billion of Corn, Soybeans, Wheat), Taiwan committed to purchasing $2.8 billion of American grains. The Taiwanese announced that they planned to increase their previous purchase order of American grown soybeans, a component of last September’s agreement, by 30%. The Taiwanese have now pledged to purchase $1.56 billion of soybeans.

Congressman Steve King speaks at the signing ceremony in which Taiwan announced it would increase soybean purchases by 30%

“It is a privilege to be able to bring the Taiwanese delegation to Iowa so that they can see our first rate agriculture in the full flow of harvest,” said King. “I have been so aggressive in encouraging the Taiwanese to import increasing amounts of our goods that some have even taken to calling me ‘Soybean Steve.’ I have little doubt that the Taiwanese procurement officials on this tour will be even more excited about increasing future purchase of our agricultural commodities after they get a chance to personally see what we have to offer them.”

King will be escorting the Taiwanese trade delegation to farms located in Nevada, Iowa and Hinton, Iowa. Members of the Taiwanese delegation are expected to include:

• Mr. Yau-Kuen Hung          Chairman, Taiwan Vegetable Oil Manufacturers Association            
• Mr Jason Cheng-Ta Tsai    Vice President,Taisun Enterprise Co., Ltd
• Mr. Te-Jung Li                   Manager, Taihwa Oil
• Mr. Zih-Ming Jiang            Assistant Manager, Great Wall Enterprise Co., Ltd.
• Mr. Shou-Hao Lee             Manager, TTET Union Corporation
• Mr. Shih-Chia Yeh             Section Chief, U.S.& Canada Section, Ministry of Economic Affairs
• Ms. Pei-Yu Chen               Officer, Department of North American Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Mr. Eric Huang                  Director General, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago
• Mr. Justin Lee                    Director, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago           
• Martin Hou                        Consul, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago

Background:

King Does It Again! Taiwan Agrees to 30% Increase in U.S. Soybean Purchases (September 26, 2018)

King Gives “Thumbs Up!” to $2.8 Billion Agriculture Deal with Taiwan (September 15, 2017)

King Persuades Taiwan to Buy $2.8 Billion of Corn, Soybeans, Wheat (September 13, 2017)

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